FG to Create over 250, 000 jobs in the Rail Sector – Amaechi
The Hon. Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has restated the Federal Government’s commitment and determination to complete all ongoing projects and commence construction work on the new ones in the Rail Sector which is expected to generate over 250,000 jobs. He maintained that Abuja-Kaduna Rail line Project alone will generate about 1000 jobs to secure the Rail line.
The Minister said that N13 billion has been earmarked in the 2016 budget to complete the Abuja-Kaduna Rail line project and to settle all other expenditure that may be incurred in the course of concluding work on the Rail line project which is expected to be operational and commence commercial operation between June and July this year.
He reiterated that the slight changes in the commissioning date of the Rail line project which was formerly put at May 2016 was due to the delay in the compensation payment to the Daughter of Charity Hospital along the Rail line near Kubwa, FCT, Abuja.
“I thought by March, we would have concluded discussions with the Officials of the Daughter of Charity Hospital but unfortunately that did not happen, and now that we have paid them their compensation, we will expedite work on the Rail line and conclude for it to be operational ”.
Chibuike Amaechi said a total sum of N222 billion was budgeted for the Transportation sector in the 2016 budget out of which Lagos-Kaduna and Lagos-Calabar Rail Lines would gulp N60 billion each. He explained that President Muhammadu Buhari priority is to see the earnest commencement of these two projects because of the volume of jobs it will generate for Nigerians.
The Minister said that Government is currently discussing with the China-Exim Bank on the modality of fast tracking the commencement of the two projects which is very dear to Mr. President.
On the Intermodal System in the Rail sub-sector, he reiterated that the Rail lines will be linked to the Sea Ports where Cargoes can be transmitted into the Railway and carried to the next Station where Trucks will be available for onward transmission to their destination thereby reducing the associated pressure generated on our roads by Trucks and other heavy duty vehicles.
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